The romance of the FFA Cup, it appears, only comes under certain conditions. On Wednesday it emerged that clubs will no longer be able to stream their matches online, while concerns over the quality of lighting has meant that at least one lower league club will have to forfeit home ground advantage in the round of 16.

While the opening round of the FFA Cup was a roaring success, behind the scenes there have been rumblings among clubs about the strict criteria set by Football Federation Australia. In the opening round Bayswater City, Stirling Lions and Adelaide City all played their ‘home’ games at unfamiliar grounds due to insufficient lighting. And after hosting their opening game against Melbourne Knights at their home ground Goodwin Park, Olympic FC have been forced to move their match against Central Coast Mariners to the Queensland Sports and Athletic Centre. “Apparently our ground is not good enough for A-League standards,” Peter Ioannidis, the president of Olympic FC, told Guardian Australia.

What emerges is a pattern. A-League sides require a certain standard of lighting to play against State League opponents, meaning that there are different standards for different teams in the FFA Cup. It’s not a good look. In this case, what was good for the Melbourne Knights is not good enough for the Central Coast Mariners. “We were lucky enough to draw a home game, but unlucky enough to get an A-League side,” Ioannidis explained.

Olympic FC is faced with a choice: spend up to $150,000 to upgrade the lights at Goodwin Park, or spend $5,000 to rent QSAC for one game. No financial assistance has been offered from FFA. “If they want to move us to a different venue, help us with the costs,” said Ioannidis. Meanwhile, he has had to field complaints from fans and sponsors who expected to see the game against Central Coast Mariners at Goodwin Park.

Ioannidis says he understands that appropriate lighting is a concern for the broadcast on Fox Sports. However, the only live televised matches in the round of 16 will be Tuggeranong United against Melbourne Victory on 16 September, and Sydney United ’58 versus Sydney FC on 23 September. Olympic FC’s match will only briefly be covered by the roving reporters showing live crosses and highlights packages from around the grounds. Put simply, Olympic FC will be forced to foot the bill to play at a foreign ground, and with no option to live stream their match.

In a memo sent on Monday, participants were advised by FFA that “there will be no further opportunities for clubs and/or Member Federations to organise an online stream of any Westfield FFA Cup matches.” Furthermore member federations cannot house highlights or footage on their websites as it is “in breach of the broadcast and online contractual agreement.”

FFA is well within their rights to prevent live streaming and move games where they judge it to be necessary. Article 22.2 of the FFA Cup Competition Regulations states that “FFA has the power to require any FFA Cup Match to be played at an alternative venue or date if FFA considers it appropriate and necessary (in FFA’s sole and absolute discretion). No money or other compensation shall be payable relating to any change of venue.”

Yet many believe this is contrary to the spirit of inclusiveness that the FFA Cup is supposed to promote. “The spirit is to give the underdog an opportunity,” said Ioannidis.

Victoria Morton, president of South Hobart FC, said that live streaming their match against Tuggeranong United in the opening round reached “anywhere between 18,000-20,000 people”. Paid for and organised by volunteers, Morton said the decision to stream the match helped generate unprecedented interest in the club and allowed Tuggeranong United fans to watch their team live from Canberra. The videographer Ash Wilkes worked tirelessly to ensure that the stream was smooth, while the local commentary team of Callan Paske, Damian Gill and Trent ‘Corndog’ Cornish were an instant hit with viewers. The “slice of cheese” reference will surely become part of FFA Cup folklore.

“It certainly had a flow on effect, that’s for sure,” Morton told Guardian Australia. “We were actually asked to make some t-shirts. We ordered some white shirts and got the designs done by a graphic artist. Hopefully they’ll be printed by the end of the week.

“It almost became not about the game but about the coverage and how we put the game on,” said Morton, who hopes to replicate the coverage should South Hobart get the opportunity in 2015. “We were disappointed that we lost, but it was an absolutely outstanding connection with the rest of Australia. Don’t forget we’re an island and we hardly ever got top flight football until these competitions started.

“I think, exposure wise, it was unbelievable. We’ve had advice that it [the live stream] will help us generate sponsors because of the exposure we’ve had. People have expressed interest in coming on board with the same thing happening next year.” FFA could not confirm whether the live streams will continue in 2015.

The restrictions have made many State League clubs feel like second-class citizens, and the goodwill that was created in the opening round may well be lost. For Olympic FC, their round of 16 match has been made all the more difficult with the move away from Goodwin Park, and they are unlikely to turn a profit from hosting the game. “We know we might lose,” said Ioannidis, “but we want to lose in front of our guys at our place.”

“I love the FFA Cup,” said Morton. “But unless you allow that sense of ownership, then what’s the point: you’re just playing another game.”